2017-2018 Liberty University (LUCOM)

[Pandabear123]

How long is the typical turn around on acceptance after the interview?

i received an acceptance within 9 days. Their turnaround time is amazing. And they really try to reach you to tell you you're accepted before sending an email or anything

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pandabear123]

They told people who interviewed last week that they were going to have a meeting today (Wednesday) to determine acceptances. So they said that it is possible to get a call as early as next Wednesday (week from now). Fingers crossed! Please post if anyone gets a call.

Heyyy I got an acceptance 9 days after my interview (would've been 8 but I missed the call)

 

[Bachtoven]

I'm stressing. My interview is scheduled for the 22nd but I'm not sure how to prepare or what to expect. I'm freaking out.

Don't stress! You have plenty of time to prepare yourself. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions and I'll try to help you out with any questions you have

 

[ilekaj]

Thanks for your input it definitely helped calm my nerves.

 

[kristysmiles]

I'm stressing. My interview is scheduled for the 22nd but I'm not sure how to prepare or what to expect. I'm freaking out.

Honestly, don't sweat it. It's really one of the most stress free interviews you'll have. They already like you otherwise they wouldn't have offered an interview. The questions I specifically remember being asked was what OMM is, and what a DO is. It's an open file interview, so they might ask you some things about your past and what led you to pursue medicine, but it's really more of a conversation with them getting to know you.

 

[pumpkincakery]

I interviewed recently at LUCOM, and I'd like to share my experience because I know I would have wanted to know before going in for the first time. This was my first interview and I didn't know what to expect, but people were very kind and open to seeing who you really are. My tip would be to be OPEN to christianity because they are an openly Christian school. If you are not Christian, they respect that you have different beliefs, BUT they do expect you to be respectful of their beliefs as well. (example: one of the interviewers spent a majority of the time talking about Jesus. I did not have this interviewer but I heard from the other candidates that it was mostly a conversation about Jesus.) Our guide advised us to at least have a basic understanding of WHAT the gospel is, because it is a big part of the culture there. They do not try to push the religion on you and won't force you to say that you believe in God or anything like that.

Other than religion, the school emphasizes community service and they love hearing about it in your interview. They send students overseas to Guatemala (and a few other places) every year, and I think they have established connections with clinics overseas (so it's not just a one-time thing of giving medical aid and then leaving the country with no follow up).

The day might feel long in the beginning but once you have the actual interview, you'll become more relaxed because the hardest part will have been over. Interviews run from 9:15am - 12pm and afterwards you have a tour of the place and then a lunch with faculty. I was nervous about this lunch but it was very relaxed. We talked about education backgrounds, vacation places, and student success stories. My favorite part of the day was meeting the people there. And you'll hear this over and over again, Liberty is a new medical school and may not be a high ranked school, but the community is what sets it apart from other schools. Also, I was lucky to be in a friendly group of interviewees. By the end of the day, we were saying how we'd love to see each other again as lucom students.

I am applying to many MD and DO schools this year, and to be completely honest, LUCOM was not at the top of my list. But after visiting campus I've changed my mind and I think I might put this near the top. For me, atmosphere is so so important. I went through a post-bac program last year and it was a total blood bath. Students were vicious toward each other and I felt miserable being a part of that community. Granted, if you want to be a neurosurgeon or want to be heavily involved in research, don't come here. (LUCOM made that clear too). Go for the MD. I'm interested in primary care so it gave me more reason to apply to DO schools as well.

One last point. I know some people might consider an interview to LUCOM as not a high priority, but I think going there is more than an interview. The faculty there was very welcoming and hospitable. They will congratulate you on making it this far, and they will treat you as special guests. This might sound weird, but it's an atypical interview in that sense. They make you feel very wanted and accomplished. So I would recommend going even if they're not where you really want to go. It's a feel good day that gives you the chance to explore the campus and meet new friendly people. And I think that's a healthy thing to experience for any pre-med, especially in this time of year.

I'm ending this post thinking, it'd be ironic/hilarious if they rejected me.... but I hope this helps anyone wondering what to feel/expect on interview day.

LAST COMMENT (i swear): Dress up! I was about to wear a blouse and khaki's but changed my mind last minute and wore a suit. THANK GOD I did because everyone else did as well. I would've felt a little embarrassed if I had dressed a lot more casual than the other interviewees.

 

[familyguy1990]

Really hoping for an interview at this school. Submitted my application on August 14 but haven't heard a word; getting concerned since so many people have received interviews and even offers. Can anyone who was recently offered an interview tell me when they submitted? I am thinking maybe i should call and check on my application?

 

[Kimochero]

Really hoping for an interview at this school. Submitted my application on August 14 but haven't heard a word; getting concerned since so many people have received interviews and even offers. Can anyone who was recently offered an interview tell me when they submitted? I am thinking maybe i should call and check on my application?

Submitted my secondary on 8/6 and no II yet. I called, and Mr. Smith (Admissions DIrector?) told me i will be invited but they are still going through the applicants before me... So.. still waiting...

 

[Jewels86]

I'm stressing. My interview is scheduled for the 22nd but I'm not sure how to prepare or what to expect. I'm freaking out.

Although I will be in your shoes next year, I'd like to offer some wisdom that may help.

Be you...please, do not "can" an answer. As an ER nurse (I am taking time off to finish my final 3 courses and study for my Jan MCAT), I noticed the more genuine I was, the more relaxed my pt's were. If you think the medical system is a wreck for instance, find an answer that will politely state that, from your heart. If you think physician-assisted suicide should be the law of the land, okay...from your heart.

Second, "deep breath innnnn and outttt...". I told this to someone that was just placed on bi-pap who was as nervous as a pig at a hot dog fest.

Third, personally, if you got this far, I think you'll do great!!

 

[familyguy1990]

Although I will be in your shoes next year, I'd like to offer some wisdom that may help.

Be you...please, do not "can" an answer. As an ER nurse (I am taking time off to finish my final 3 courses and study for my Jan MCAT), I noticed the more genuine I was, the more relaxed my pt's were. If you think the medical system is a wreck for instance, find an answer that will politely state that, from your heart. If you think physician-assisted suicide should be the law of the land, okay...from your heart.

Second, "deep breath innnnn and outttt...". I told this to someone that was just placed on bi-pap who was as nervous as a pig at a hot dog fest.

Third, personally, if you got this far, I think you'll do great!!

Submitted my secondary on 8/6 and no II yet. I called, and Mr. Smith (Admissions DIrector?) told me i will be invited but they are still going through the applicants before me... So.. still waiting...

Submitted my secondary on 8/6 and no II yet. I called, and Mr. Smith (Admissions DIrector?) told me i will be invited but they are still going through the applicants before me... So.. still waiting...

Submitted my secondary on 8/6 and no II yet. I called, and Mr. Smith (Admissions DIrector?) told me i will be invited but they are still going through the applicants before me... So.. still waiting...

Thanks best of luck to you. I suspect they are swamped with applicants. Probably we will hear by the end of the month. I suspect the people who have already interviewed were early decision applicants.

 

[pumpkincakery]

Really hoping for an interview at this school. Submitted my application on August 14 but haven't heard a word; getting concerned since so many people have received interviews and even offers. Can anyone who was recently offered an interview tell me when they submitted? I am thinking maybe i should call and check on my application?

I interviewed earlier this month and I had submitted my secondary in late June. So it took a few months for me to get an interview... I think it varies for people but I think if you submitted on 8/14 it's too soon to worry about it.

 

[DocVader16]

Getting worried because it's going on 4 week post interview and still haven't heard anything. I thought the interview went really well too.

 

[Deecee2DO]

Hey everyone, I was just looking at some of the questions that applicants were getting at the LUCOM interviews on the interview feedback page for LUCOM and the questions seemed pretty difficult. Anyone that interviewed notice that they got some outlandish and potentially difficult interview questions (more or less particular scenarios where the interviewer wanted to see how the applicant would handle the scenario?) This seemed different than some of the interviews I have had at other med schools in that I was not thrown any "off-the-wall" scenario-based questions and more of it was small talk about my application.

 

[Deecee2DO]

I interviewed recently at LUCOM, and I'd like to share my experience because I know I would have wanted to know before going in for the first time. This was my first interview and I didn't know what to expect, but people were very kind and open to seeing who you really are. My tip would be to be OPEN to christianity because they are an openly Christian school. If you are not Christian, they respect that you have different beliefs, BUT they do expect you to be respectful of their beliefs as well. (example: one of the interviewers spent a majority of the time talking about Jesus. I did not have this interviewer but I heard from the other candidates that it was mostly a conversation about Jesus.) Our guide advised us to at least have a basic understanding of WHAT the gospel is, because it is a big part of the culture there. They do not try to push the religion on you and won't force you to say that you believe in God or anything like that.

Other than religion, the school emphasizes community service and they love hearing about it in your interview. They send students overseas to Guatemala (and a few other places) every year, and I think they have established connections with clinics overseas (so it's not just a one-time thing of giving medical aid and then leaving the country with no follow up).

The day might feel long in the beginning but once you have the actual interview, you'll become more relaxed because the hardest part will have been over. Interviews run from 9:15am - 12pm and afterwards you have a tour of the place and then a lunch with faculty. I was nervous about this lunch but it was very relaxed. We talked about education backgrounds, vacation places, and student success stories. My favorite part of the day was meeting the people there. And you'll hear this over and over again, Liberty is a new medical school and may not be a high ranked school, but the community is what sets it apart from other schools. Also, I was lucky to be in a friendly group of interviewees. By the end of the day, we were saying how we'd love to see each other again as lucom students.

I am applying to many MD and DO schools this year, and to be completely honest, LUCOM was not at the top of my list. But after visiting campus I've changed my mind and I think I might put this near the top. For me, atmosphere is so so important. I went through a post-bac program last year and it was a total blood bath. Students were vicious toward each other and I felt miserable being a part of that community. Granted, if you want to be a neurosurgeon or want to be heavily involved in research, don't come here. (LUCOM made that clear too). Go for the MD. I'm interested in primary care so it gave me more reason to apply to DO schools as well.

One last point. I know some people might consider an interview to LUCOM as not a high priority, but I think going there is more than an interview. The faculty there was very welcoming and hospitable. They will congratulate you on making it this far, and they will treat you as special guests. This might sound weird, but it's an atypical interview in that sense. They make you feel very wanted and accomplished. So I would recommend going even if they're not where you really want to go. It's a feel good day that gives you the chance to explore the campus and meet new friendly people. And I think that's a healthy thing to experience for any pre-med, especially in this time of year.

I'm ending this post thinking, it'd be ironic/hilarious if they rejected me.... but I hope this helps anyone wondering what to feel/expect on interview day.

LAST COMMENT (i swear): Dress up! I was about to wear a blouse and khaki's but changed my mind last minute and wore a suit. THANK GOD I did because everyone else did as well. I would've felt a little embarrassed if I had dressed a lot more casual than the other interviewees.

Great info! Thank you for the feedback!

 

[Greysfordayss]

Hey everyone, I was just looking at some of the questions that applicants were getting at the LUCOM interviews on the interview feedback page for LUCOM and the questions seemed pretty difficult. Anyone that interviewed notice that they got some outlandish and potentially difficult interview questions (more or less particular scenarios where the interviewer wanted to see how the applicant would handle the scenario?) This seemed different than some of the interviews I have had at other med schools in that I was not thrown any "off-the-wall" scenario-based questions and more of it was small talk about my application.

I just interviewed on the 28th and I don't remember any off-the-wall type questions. The interviewers really wanted to get to know me and everyone was super welcoming. The interviews are relaxed in the fact that they seem to be just wanting to have a conversation with you to get to know the person beyond the paper.

 

[Deecee2DO]

I just interviewed on the 28th and I don't remember any off-the-wall type questions. The interviewers really wanted to get to know me and everyone was super welcoming. The interviews are relaxed in the fact that they seem to be just wanting to have a conversation with you to get to know the person beyond the paper.

Thank you for the feedback

 

[Deecee2DO]

Anyone know post-interview acceptance rate for LUCOM?

 

[PastorDoc]

Anyone know post-interview acceptance rate for LUCOM?

They told us 50% accept/25% waitlist.

 

[penny827]

Can anyone whos been accepted give me their stats?

 

[Deecee2DO]

Anyone know where I can find a LUCOM residency match list?

 

[Magulick81]

Anyone know where I can find a LUCOM residency match list?

You can't because their first residency class hasn't gone through yet =) I think if you contact them in March or April it might be available then

 

[Deecee2DO]

You can't because their first residency class hasn't gone through yet =) I think if you contact them in March or April it might be available then

Ok great thank you

 

[TCamp]

Hey all, I yielded my upcoming interview yesterday morning. I hope it goes to one of you!

 

[DancingwithDelilah]

I just interviewed on the 28th and I don't remember any off-the-wall type questions. The interviewers really wanted to get to know me and everyone was super welcoming. The interviews are relaxed in the fact that they seem to be just wanting to have a conversation with you to get to know the person beyond the paper.

Did you hear back yet?

 

[drips23]

Can any current students or city natives, comment on how accepting the area is for minorites?

 

[ddanford]

Just got the call from Dr. Patton! Accepted!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pumpkincakery]

Accepted!

 

[Greysfordayss]

Did you hear back yet?

Yes! I got the call last Thursday

 

[courtsport]

Interviewed 8/31, just got accepted today on 9/13. Congrats to everyone accepted so far!!!

 

[Atusek]

Gosh, just had LUCOM's Associate Dean of admissions (I think thats what he said he was) call me over dinner. What a nerve-wracking call!! It was just to make sure everything was good for my upcoming interview, but WOW was I taken off guard. Interviewing next Thursday, good luck to anyone else who is as well, and I'll see you there!

 

[LA1004]

Can any current students or city natives, comment on how accepting the area is for minorites?

Current OMS3 at LUCOM. What type of minorities are you referring?

From my n=1 experience, the school has a good variety of students from different nationalities (South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico), races (all ranges from white to black), and religion (non-religious, Christian, Muslim, Hindu).

Lynchburg is - in my view - a mid-sized city with lots of mixture. The places I go to (church, Sams Club, Target, WalMart, and LUCOM) always have a mixture of old, young, male, female, black, white individuals. My neighborhood has a lesbian couple with children who are well received by the neighbors.

If that answered your question, great! If not, please clarify. I might not respond fast (rotations, after all!) but eventually will.

 

[Yasuo]

I attended a recent interview at LUCOM a few weeks back, and I’d like to give my thoughts. Hopefully this helps others in choosing the right school for them!


Atmosphere: The staff and students here were very friendly. I was welcomed by everyone I met, and there was a general positive vibe and southern charm present throughout the day. The students we met looked and seemed generally happy. The town itself has a natural, southern mountain vibe to it which I enjoy a lot. This is a Christian school, and they are not ashamed of that. However, I will say it’s not as overbearing as SDN may make it out to be, at least from my perspective as an interviewee. They had a few conversations with us about their Christian values, but they were upfront about how they were inclusive to all people from all backgrounds as long as they share the service mentality of being a caring physician. We had a Muslim woman in our group, and at least from my perspective, she was welcomed just the same as anyone else. The faculty told us many, many times about how serious they are about serving the less-fortunate and underprivileged. They were upfront and urged us not to come here if that doesn’t appeal to them. I was cool with the honesty of that. The general vibe at this school was welcoming, southern, and happy.


Atmosphere: 8/10


Students: Very friendly, happy, and welcoming group of student doctors. They all seemed intelligent, well-spoken, and I got along well with them. Honestly didn’t have a whole lot of interaction with them. We were toured around by 2 women students who were awesome and helpful. I also got to talk to a few students outside after the interview. They all said LUCOM has a very collaborative environment, not cutthroat, etc. I even went and checked out the gym on campus, and the few conversations I had there were really encouraging and positive. Good peoples. No complaints.


Students: 10/10


Facilities: Just like any new medical school, it has pretty sweet facilities! The lecture halls are great, good seating, nice lecture-capture recording system. The teaching facilities all have expensive looking cameras, tv’s, and computers. The library is actually a decent-sized library with plenty of study rooms and spaces. The study rooms actually have walls which serve as the whiteboard. It’s pretty sweet! The OMT lab was nice, pretty standard. The anatomy lab is beautiful! Great ventilation system, beautiful view, and actual cadavers. The school itself has everything I’d want at my school personally.


Facilities: 9/10


Location: The school is in Lynchburg, VA which is a nice college town. I didn’t get to do too much exploring (Uber + AirBNB = freedom at a price), but in my limited travels, I really like the town. It’s got everything one would need as far as shops and restaurants go. Definitely doesn’t feel rural. The town aside, the scenery is BEAUTIFUL. I mean wow, it’s impressive. Gorgeous mountains in the distance, the weather was a crisp 60ish degrees, and the school is on top of a big hill or small mountain that you can see from different areas throughout town. It’s really nice. The view out of the back of the school is breathtaking.


Location: 9/10


Interview: So by now you’re probably thinking, man… this review sounds TOO positive. Well, my interview was pretty strange. One of my two interviewers was professional, conversational, and a pleasure to interact with. They asked completely legitimate questions for a medical school interview, and pushed me to explain some of my application’s downfalls. Totally legit. HOWEVER, my other interviewer was pretty weird. The other applicants who had this individual felt exactly the same as me and were relieved to discover that we both found them super uncomfortable. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

• Took a few minutes throughout of just looking at my application for what seemed like the first time and had to ask me for my GPA and MCAT score
  
  
• Spent a solid 15 minutes asking me about my Christian faith (which I mentioned in maybe one sentence in my secondary).
  
  
• Asked me difficult theological questions about why God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, if I believe God is all-knowing, etc.
  

• Painted a scenario in which I am an OBGYN, my sister was raped, and she comes to me asking what to do with her pregnancy. What do I recommend? That transitions into asking why I answered the way I did? I was asked when do I believe life begins.
  

I hope they were just trying to see how I thought through the difficult scenario, but it was a bit much. I’m really trying to convince myself that this interviewer was intentionally trying to make me uncomfortable to see how I handled myself, but I’m not sure. I’ve been on other interviews already and this was far different than any other conversation I’ve had with admission staff.


Interview: 5/10 (One interviewer was 10/10, other was 0/10)


Academics: So I know this school is new, but they really, REALLY avoided talking about their academic success. They focused so much on their mission, values, and what it’s like to be a student here. I appreciate all that, but I first and foremost want to know I will be trained to be a prepared, highly competitive student for residency. Pretty much all they touched on was that they were 87% first time COMLEX pass rate last year, and they won’t have more data until March. The one defense they had was that this was the best score out of the past 11 new DO programs (not 100% sure this is exactly what they said, but pretty sure). Every time I would pry into how well they would prepare me for COMLEX/USMLE, they basically said it’s on me and how well I study (true to an extent, but I’d like to see them be proud of their curriculum and preparation).They didn’t explain their curriculum a whole lot. I know they have OSCE’s, classes, and tests. They told us their SIM lab and OSCE area was really nice, but they were in use by students for testing so we didn’t get to see it. I’m sure they’re fine though.


One faculty told us the attrition rate for the first year, which I don’t think they meant to do. They had 162 students in the first class and now have 129 left. That’s pretty bad AFAIK. They said they took some people they really shouldn’t have, but I’m not sure that explains everything. So that statistic, along with the lack of “bragging” about their academic success and curriculum makes me hesitant about possibly attending here. Their lectures are not mandatory though, so that is pretty dank.


Academics: 6/10


Miscellaneous:

• Lecture is OPTIONAL. Hallelujah, something great about this school that I wish every DO program had. Lecture are apparently uploaded within an hour or so of class. You are only required to attend certain guest lectures, OSCE’s, and labs.
  
  
• One faculty member mentioned the Code of Conduct. TL;DR no drugs or alcohol or other lewd behavior. IDK why this even exists, but it does. It’s kinda ridiculous, but if you are on your own time, you’re on your own time. I don’t know if this could get you in trouble if you got “caught” drinking out in town or something. Like I said, it’s kinda ridiculous and makes me uncomfortable.
  
  
• Cost of attendance is like 65k-75k a year
  
  
• They have tests every 2 weeks on Mondays (kill me)
  
  
• 500-600 interview invites per year
  
  
• ~150 admitted
  
  
• They said although their minimum MCAT is 500, they have taken sub-500 MCAT students before based on outstanding other factors.
  
  
• You will be notified within 3-4 weeks after your interview of your final admissions decision
  
  
• The assistant Dean said that last year ~90% of the waitlist was eventually admitted into the class. Not sure if he misspoke, but that’s what he said. Pretty encouraging for any waitlisted students.
  

Overall: I really wanted to like this school enough to consider attending. I did. SDN talks bad about it all the time, and much of it is unwarranted. However, they really didn’t prove much academically. I don’t feel comfortable attending here based on what I saw. Maybe in a few years, we will see match rates and more COMLEX scores, but we don’t have much right now. If this was the only school that accepted me, I’d be like “OK some of it is weird, but it’ll make me a doctor.” and i’d work my butt off. It’s not my first choice, but I think it’s a decent school that needs time to prove itself.


Overall: 7/10

P.S. I was accepted here and notified in <2 weeks of my interview date!

 

[drobgyn32]

I attended a recent interview at LUCOM a few weeks back, and I’d like to give my thoughts. Hopefully this helps others in choosing the right school for them!


Atmosphere: The staff and students here were very friendly. I was welcomed by everyone I met, and there was a general positive vibe and southern charm present throughout the day. The students we met looked and seemed generally happy. The town itself has a natural, southern mountain vibe to it which I enjoy a lot. This is a Christian school, and they are not ashamed of that. However, I will say it’s not as overbearing as SDN may make it out to be, at least from my perspective as an interviewee. They had a few conversations with us about their Christian values, but they were upfront about how they were inclusive to all people from all backgrounds as long as they share the service mentality of being a caring physician. We had a Muslim woman in our group, and at least from my perspective, she was welcomed just the same as anyone else. The faculty told us many, many times about how serious they are about serving the less-fortunate and underprivileged. They were upfront and urged us not to come here if that doesn’t appeal to them. I was cool with the honesty of that. The general vibe at this school was welcoming, southern, and happy.


Atmosphere: 8/10


Students: Very friendly, happy, and welcoming group of student doctors. They all seemed intelligent, well-spoken, and I got along well with them. Honestly didn’t have a whole lot of interaction with them. We were toured around by 2 women students who were awesome and helpful. I also got to talk to a few students outside after the interview. They all said LUCOM has a very collaborative environment, not cutthroat, etc. I even went and checked out the gym on campus, and the few conversations I had there were really encouraging and positive. Good peoples. No complaints.


Students: 10/10


Facilities: Just like any new medical school, it has pretty sweet facilities! The lecture halls are great, good seating, nice lecture-capture recording system. The teaching facilities all have expensive looking cameras, tv’s, and computers. The library is actually a decent-sized library with plenty of study rooms and spaces. The study rooms actually have walls which serve as the whiteboard. It’s pretty sweet! The OMT lab was nice, pretty standard. The anatomy lab is beautiful! Great ventilation system, beautiful view, and actual cadavers. The school itself has everything I’d want at my school personally.


Facilities: 9/10


Location: The school is in Lynchburg, VA which is a nice college town. I didn’t get to do too much exploring (Uber + AirBNB = freedom at a price), but in my limited travels, I really like the town. It’s got everything one would need as far as shops and restaurants go. Definitely doesn’t feel rural. The town aside, the scenery is BEAUTIFUL. I mean wow, it’s impressive. Gorgeous mountains in the distance, the weather was a crisp 60ish degrees, and the school is on top of a big hill or small mountain that you can see from different areas throughout town. It’s really nice. The view out of the back of the school is breathtaking.


Location: 9/10


Interview: So by now you’re probably thinking, man… this review sounds TOO positive. Well, my interview was pretty strange. One of my two interviewers was professional, conversational, and a pleasure to interact with. They asked completely legitimate questions for a medical school interview, and pushed me to explain some of my application’s downfalls. Totally legit. HOWEVER, my other interviewer was pretty weird. The other applicants who had this individual felt exactly the same as me and were relieved to discover that we both found them super uncomfortable. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

• Took a few minutes throughout of just looking at my application for what seemed like the first time and had to ask me for my GPA and MCAT score
  
  
• Spent a solid 15 minutes asking me about my Christian faith (which I mentioned in maybe one sentence in my secondary).
  
  
• Asked me difficult theological questions about why God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, if I believe God is all-knowing, etc.

• Painted a scenario in which I am an OBGYN, my sister was raped, and she comes to me asking what to do with her pregnancy. What do I recommend? That transitions into asking why I answered the way I did? I was asked when do I believe life begins.

I hope they were just trying to see how I thought through the difficult scenario, but it was a bit much. I’m really trying to convince myself that this interviewer was intentionally trying to make me uncomfortable to see how I handled myself, but I’m not sure. I’ve been on other interviews already and this was far different than any other conversation I’ve had with admission staff.


Interview: 5/10 (One interviewer was 10/10, other was 0/10)


Academics: So I know this school is new, but they really, REALLY avoided talking about their academic success. They focused so much on their mission, values, and what it’s like to be a student here. I appreciate all that, but I first and foremost want to know I will be trained to be a prepared, highly competitive student for residency. Pretty much all they touched on was that they were 87% first time COMLEX pass rate last year, and they won’t have more data until March. The one defense they had was that this was the best score out of the past 11 new DO programs (not 100% sure this is exactly what they said, but pretty sure). Every time I would pry into how well they would prepare me for COMLEX/USMLE, they basically said it’s on me and how well I study (true to an extent, but I’d like to see them be proud of their curriculum and preparation).They didn’t explain their curriculum a whole lot. I know they have OSCE’s, classes, and tests. They told us their SIM lab and OSCE area was really nice, but they were in use by students for testing so we didn’t get to see it. I’m sure they’re fine though.


One faculty told us the attrition rate for the first year, which I don’t think they meant to do. They had 162 students in the first class and now have 129 left. That’s pretty bad AFAIK. They said they took some people they really shouldn’t have, but I’m not sure that explains everything. So that statistic, along with the lack of “bragging” about their academic success and curriculum makes me hesitant about possibly attending here. Their lectures are not mandatory though, so that is pretty dank.


Academics: 6/10


Miscellaneous:

• Lecture is OPTIONAL. Hallelujah, something great about this school that I wish every DO program had. Lecture are apparently uploaded within an hour or so of class. You are only required to attend certain guest lectures, OSCE’s, and labs.
  
  
• One faculty member mentioned the Code of Conduct. TL;DR no drugs or alcohol or other lewd behavior. IDK why this even exists, but it does. It’s kinda ridiculous, but if you are on your own time, you’re on your own time. I don’t know if this could get you in trouble if you got “caught” drinking out in town or something. Like I said, it’s kinda ridiculous and makes me uncomfortable.
  
  
• Cost of attendance is like 65k-75k a year
  
  
• They have tests every 2 weeks on Mondays (kill me)
  
  
• 500-600 interview invites per year
  
  
• ~150 admitted
  
  
• They said although their minimum MCAT is 500, they have taken sub-500 MCAT students before based on outstanding other factors.
  
  
• You will be notified within 3-4 weeks after your interview of your final admissions decision
  
  
• The assistant Dean said that last year ~90% of the waitlist was eventually admitted into the class. Not sure if he misspoke, but that’s what he said. Pretty encouraging for any waitlisted students.

Overall: I really wanted to like this school enough to consider attending. I did. SDN talks bad about it all the time, and much of it is unwarranted. However, they really didn’t prove much academically. I don’t feel comfortable attending here based on what I saw. Maybe in a few years, we will see match rates and more COMLEX scores, but we don’t have much right now. If this was the only school that accepted me, I’d be like “OK some of it is weird, but it’ll make me a doctor.” and i’d work my butt off. It’s not my first choice, but I think it’s a decent school that needs time to prove itself.


Overall: 7/10

P.S. I was accepted here and notified in <2 weeks of my interview date!

SWANSON lol!!

 

[Octossy]

So I am a little confused by LUCOM as well... I submitted everything with secondary a few weeks ago but the letters were never received by the school. I decided to email them on Thursday and, a few hours later, I got a reply and they changed my code on the system to complete and told me that my II will be rolling out with their automatic system Thurs night. I then got the email for II at 4 am on Fri. Really not sure what is happening behind the scene...

 

[Deecee2DO]

I attended a recent interview at LUCOM a few weeks back, and I’d like to give my thoughts. Hopefully this helps others in choosing the right school for them!


Atmosphere: The staff and students here were very friendly. I was welcomed by everyone I met, and there was a general positive vibe and southern charm present throughout the day. The students we met looked and seemed generally happy. The town itself has a natural, southern mountain vibe to it which I enjoy a lot. This is a Christian school, and they are not ashamed of that. However, I will say it’s not as overbearing as SDN may make it out to be, at least from my perspective as an interviewee. They had a few conversations with us about their Christian values, but they were upfront about how they were inclusive to all people from all backgrounds as long as they share the service mentality of being a caring physician. We had a Muslim woman in our group, and at least from my perspective, she was welcomed just the same as anyone else. The faculty told us many, many times about how serious they are about serving the less-fortunate and underprivileged. They were upfront and urged us not to come here if that doesn’t appeal to them. I was cool with the honesty of that. The general vibe at this school was welcoming, southern, and happy.


Atmosphere: 8/10


Students: Very friendly, happy, and welcoming group of student doctors. They all seemed intelligent, well-spoken, and I got along well with them. Honestly didn’t have a whole lot of interaction with them. We were toured around by 2 women students who were awesome and helpful. I also got to talk to a few students outside after the interview. They all said LUCOM has a very collaborative environment, not cutthroat, etc. I even went and checked out the gym on campus, and the few conversations I had there were really encouraging and positive. Good peoples. No complaints.


Students: 10/10


Facilities: Just like any new medical school, it has pretty sweet facilities! The lecture halls are great, good seating, nice lecture-capture recording system. The teaching facilities all have expensive looking cameras, tv’s, and computers. The library is actually a decent-sized library with plenty of study rooms and spaces. The study rooms actually have walls which serve as the whiteboard. It’s pretty sweet! The OMT lab was nice, pretty standard. The anatomy lab is beautiful! Great ventilation system, beautiful view, and actual cadavers. The school itself has everything I’d want at my school personally.


Facilities: 9/10


Location: The school is in Lynchburg, VA which is a nice college town. I didn’t get to do too much exploring (Uber + AirBNB = freedom at a price), but in my limited travels, I really like the town. It’s got everything one would need as far as shops and restaurants go. Definitely doesn’t feel rural. The town aside, the scenery is BEAUTIFUL. I mean wow, it’s impressive. Gorgeous mountains in the distance, the weather was a crisp 60ish degrees, and the school is on top of a big hill or small mountain that you can see from different areas throughout town. It’s really nice. The view out of the back of the school is breathtaking.


Location: 9/10


Interview: So by now you’re probably thinking, man… this review sounds TOO positive. Well, my interview was pretty strange. One of my two interviewers was professional, conversational, and a pleasure to interact with. They asked completely legitimate questions for a medical school interview, and pushed me to explain some of my application’s downfalls. Totally legit. HOWEVER, my other interviewer was pretty weird. The other applicants who had this individual felt exactly the same as me and were relieved to discover that we both found them super uncomfortable. Here are some highlights from our conversation:

• Took a few minutes throughout of just looking at my application for what seemed like the first time and had to ask me for my GPA and MCAT score
  
  
• Spent a solid 15 minutes asking me about my Christian faith (which I mentioned in maybe one sentence in my secondary).
  
  
• Asked me difficult theological questions about why God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, if I believe God is all-knowing, etc.

• Painted a scenario in which I am an OBGYN, my sister was raped, and she comes to me asking what to do with her pregnancy. What do I recommend? That transitions into asking why I answered the way I did? I was asked when do I believe life begins.

I hope they were just trying to see how I thought through the difficult scenario, but it was a bit much. I’m really trying to convince myself that this interviewer was intentionally trying to make me uncomfortable to see how I handled myself, but I’m not sure. I’ve been on other interviews already and this was far different than any other conversation I’ve had with admission staff.


Interview: 5/10 (One interviewer was 10/10, other was 0/10)


Academics: So I know this school is new, but they really, REALLY avoided talking about their academic success. They focused so much on their mission, values, and what it’s like to be a student here. I appreciate all that, but I first and foremost want to know I will be trained to be a prepared, highly competitive student for residency. Pretty much all they touched on was that they were 87% first time COMLEX pass rate last year, and they won’t have more data until March. The one defense they had was that this was the best score out of the past 11 new DO programs (not 100% sure this is exactly what they said, but pretty sure). Every time I would pry into how well they would prepare me for COMLEX/USMLE, they basically said it’s on me and how well I study (true to an extent, but I’d like to see them be proud of their curriculum and preparation).They didn’t explain their curriculum a whole lot. I know they have OSCE’s, classes, and tests. They told us their SIM lab and OSCE area was really nice, but they were in use by students for testing so we didn’t get to see it. I’m sure they’re fine though.


One faculty told us the attrition rate for the first year, which I don’t think they meant to do. They had 162 students in the first class and now have 129 left. That’s pretty bad AFAIK. They said they took some people they really shouldn’t have, but I’m not sure that explains everything. So that statistic, along with the lack of “bragging” about their academic success and curriculum makes me hesitant about possibly attending here. Their lectures are not mandatory though, so that is pretty dank.


Academics: 6/10


Miscellaneous:

• Lecture is OPTIONAL. Hallelujah, something great about this school that I wish every DO program had. Lecture are apparently uploaded within an hour or so of class. You are only required to attend certain guest lectures, OSCE’s, and labs.
  
  
• One faculty member mentioned the Code of Conduct. TL;DR no drugs or alcohol or other lewd behavior. IDK why this even exists, but it does. It’s kinda ridiculous, but if you are on your own time, you’re on your own time. I don’t know if this could get you in trouble if you got “caught” drinking out in town or something. Like I said, it’s kinda ridiculous and makes me uncomfortable.
  
  
• Cost of attendance is like 65k-75k a year
  
  
• They have tests every 2 weeks on Mondays (kill me)
  
  
• 500-600 interview invites per year
  
  
• ~150 admitted
  
  
• They said although their minimum MCAT is 500, they have taken sub-500 MCAT students before based on outstanding other factors.
  
  
• You will be notified within 3-4 weeks after your interview of your final admissions decision
  
  
• The assistant Dean said that last year ~90% of the waitlist was eventually admitted into the class. Not sure if he misspoke, but that’s what he said. Pretty encouraging for any waitlisted students.

Overall: I really wanted to like this school enough to consider attending. I did. SDN talks bad about it all the time, and much of it is unwarranted. However, they really didn’t prove much academically. I don’t feel comfortable attending here based on what I saw. Maybe in a few years, we will see match rates and more COMLEX scores, but we don’t have much right now. If this was the only school that accepted me, I’d be like “OK some of it is weird, but it’ll make me a doctor.” and i’d work my butt off. It’s not my first choice, but I think it’s a decent school that needs time to prove itself.


Overall: 7/10

P.S. I was accepted here and notified in <2 weeks of my interview date!

You say that 500 are interviewed and 150 are admitted. Do you mean 150 seats? Typically double will be accepted to seats available. I would guess around 200-300 would be accepted/admitted of the 500-600, but maybe I am wrong.

 

[Lighthouse777]

New to this site. Wondering if I should apply. From the Northeast, gpa 3.68, mcat 505, EMT, and rsch experience. Should I apply? Thank you!

 

[Deecee2DO]

New to this site. Wondering if I should apply. From the Northeast, gpa 3.68, mcat 505, EMT, and rsch experience. Should I apply? Thank you!

With stats in that range, you'll be competitive at pretty much any DO program IMO. I would ask some of the adcoms on this site, but you may even be competitive enough for some low tier MD programs depending on your clinical experience/ECs and your LORs, also consider your state MD programs. However, this depends on what your sGPA and your cGPA are (are they both in that range? if so then my statements still hold).

 

[Lighthouse777]

With stats in that range, you'll be competitive at pretty much any DO program IMO. I would ask some of the adcoms on this site, but you may even be competitive enough for some low tier MD programs depending on your clinical experience/ECs and your LORs, also consider your state MD programs. However, this depends on what your sGPA and your cGPA are (are they both in that range? if so then my statements still hold).

Yes, science 3.58, thank you, just looking to where to apply besides une and WVSOM?

 

[Deecee2DO]

Yes, science 3.58, thank you, just looking to where to apply besides une and WVSOM?

No problem. Message Goro, faha, gyngyn or another adcom they can give you a better idea of where you should apply. Make sure to include everything in your app (ECs, LORs and who they are from, non-clinical/clinical volunteering, Mcat score and breakdown, both gpas, where you went to undergrad, post-bacc programs if you did one, leadership roles like tutoring/mentoring). You can also check your LizzyM score on here that will give you a good idea of where you should apply as each school has a certain lizzym score based on your MCAT and gpa

 

[Lighthouse777]

Wow thank you!

 

[kristysmiles]

Academics: So I know this school is new, but they really, REALLY avoided talking about their academic success. They focused so much on their mission, values, and what it’s like to be a student here. I appreciate all that, but I first and foremost want to know I will be trained to be a prepared, highly competitive student for residency. Pretty much all they touched on was that they were 87% first time COMLEX pass rate last year, and they won’t have more data until March. The one defense they had was that this was the best score out of the past 11 new DO programs (not 100% sure this is exactly what they said, but pretty sure). Every time I would pry into how well they would prepare me for COMLEX/USMLE, they basically said it’s on me and how well I study (true to an extent, but I’d like to see them be proud of their curriculum and preparation).They didn’t explain their curriculum a whole lot. I know they have OSCE’s, classes, and tests. They told us their SIM lab and OSCE area was really nice, but they were in use by students for testing so we didn’t get to see it. I’m sure they’re fine though.

Miscellaneous:

• One faculty member mentioned the Code of Conduct. TL;DR no drugs or alcohol or other lewd behavior. IDK why this even exists, but it does. It’s kinda ridiculous, but if you are on your own time, you’re on your own time. I don’t know if this could get you in trouble if you got “caught” drinking out in town or something. Like I said, it’s kinda ridiculous and makes me uncomfortable.
• 
  
• Cost of attendance is like 65k-75k a year
  
• The assistant Dean said that last year ~90% of the waitlist was eventually admitted into the class. Not sure if he misspoke, but that’s what he said. Pretty encouraging for any waitlisted students.

First off, sorry about your bad interview. There are some faculty members who I'm glad didn't interview me. They are really great instructors, but sometimes they come off the wrong way. I've learned to appreciate what they can offer me academically, even if I'd never seek them out as a personal mentor. Just keep in mind all of the faculty are dedicated to seeing us succeed, and they really do care. They are always available to answer questions and explain things literally all hours of the day. I've sent some emails pretty late at night and gotten very quick responses.

Just a few comments, we've only had 2 classes take COMLEX step 1 so far, so there's not a lot to talk about with academic success when we haven't had a graduating class yet. The first class also has it pretty difficult because they pave the way in the curriculum and are essentially the trial and error class where the school works out the kinks. As a new school without a graduating class, there's not a lot of academic success to mention. The curriculum is very based on setting students up for success for the COMLEX and USMLE. Important topics to know for these exams is commonly mentioned throughout our lectures. I spoke with a few other students from other medical schools at a conference this past weekend, and I strongly believe that LUCOM has one of the better curriculum. The courses all run in parallel, so while we are doing anatomy and physiology of the back, we are also working on the same anatomical areas in OMM and PCM (clinical skills). Honestly, I'm amazed at how many opportunities LUCOM has for 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations as a new DO school, and they have added quite a few more just since July!

The code of conduct is important, but as professional students this mostly comes down to personal integrity of abiding by the standards. No one is going to monitor you, do house calls or anything ridiculous. You are representing the school and they want you to present a professional image. Quite honestly, I'm proud that we look and act like doctors. It sets us up for success and the code of conduct is very similar to what is expected of us once we graduate. Many of the schools have a similar code of conduct and dress code, LUCOM is just different in that their are unapologetically Christian with their standards. You wouldn't go to a Jewish school and expect to have activities planned on the Sabbath. They are abiding by their moral standards and beliefs, and while you don't have to believe in them they want you to at least respect them.

The tuition is 46K for this year, the cost of attendance is higher because it includes lodging and everything else. It's really dependent on you how high that number is, and Lynchburg has a very low cost of living. The average 2-bedroom apartment is about $800. This is a pretty normal cost among medical schools, and even on the lower end of private medical schools.

I promise it's not that bad, and anyone can feel free to message me. I'm an OMS-1, for reference.

 

[Klove1234]

Can someone please tell me if they sent their letters via AACOMAS or something like interfolio etc. On -AACOMAS it says that this school participates in their letter service but on Liberty's website it doesn't mention aacomas. So im kinda confused.

 

[DancingwithDelilah]

Waitlisted received the email today.

 

[loryias]

Can someone please tell me if they sent their letters via AACOMAS or something like interfolio etc. On -AACOMAS it says that this school participates in their letter service but on Liberty's website it doesn't mention aacomas. So im kinda confused.

I used AACOMAS. They accept that!

 

[Yasuo]

First off, sorry about your bad interview. There are some faculty members who I'm glad didn't interview me. They are really great instructors, but sometimes they come off the wrong way. I've learned to appreciate what they can offer me academically, even if I'd never seek them out as a personal mentor. Just keep in mind all of the faculty are dedicated to seeing us succeed, and they really do care. They are always available to answer questions and explain things literally all hours of the day. I've sent some emails pretty late at night and gotten very quick responses.

Just a few comments, we've only had 2 classes take COMLEX step 1 so far, so there's not a lot to talk about with academic success when we haven't had a graduating class yet. The first class also has it pretty difficult because they pave the way in the curriculum and are essentially the trial and error class where the school works out the kinks. As a new school without a graduating class, there's not a lot of academic success to mention. The curriculum is very based on setting students up for success for the COMLEX and USMLE. Important topics to know for these exams is commonly mentioned throughout our lectures. I spoke with a few other students from other medical schools at a conference this past weekend, and I strongly believe that LUCOM has one of the better curriculum. The courses all run in parallel, so while we are doing anatomy and physiology of the back, we are also working on the same anatomical areas in OMM and PCM (clinical skills). Honestly, I'm amazed at how many opportunities LUCOM has for 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations as a new DO school, and they have added quite a few more just since July!

The code of conduct is important, but as professional students this mostly comes down to personal integrity of abiding by the standards. No one is going to monitor you, do house calls or anything ridiculous. You are representing the school and they want you to present a professional image. Quite honestly, I'm proud that we look and act like doctors. It sets us up for success and the code of conduct is very similar to what is expected of us once we graduate. Many of the schools have a similar code of conduct and dress code, LUCOM is just different in that their are unapologetically Christian with their standards. You wouldn't go to a Jewish school and expect to have activities planned on the Sabbath. They are abiding by their moral standards and beliefs, and while you don't have to believe in them they want you to at least respect them.

The tuition is 46K for this year, the cost of attendance is higher because it includes lodging and everything else. It's really dependent on you how high that number is, and Lynchburg has a very low cost of living. The average 2-bedroom apartment is about $800. This is a pretty normal cost among medical schools, and even on the lower end of private medical schools.

I promise it's not that bad, and anyone can feel free to message me. I'm an OMS-1, for reference.

Thank you for your reply! I understand that they do not have a lot of experience to speak on, but they really didn't touch on their curriculum much at all. They also barely spoke about their clinical rotations. If these are strong facets of the program, it would have been nice to hear more about them. The only thing I remember hearing is that they learn OMM and science-based material alongside each other, which is cool.

As far as the interviewer, I totally agree with what you said. It doesn't reflect the quality of the school, but it does represent the school as it was my interview day. It was uncomfortable but not the biggest deal ever.

As far as the code of conduct, I understand it is a Christian school. I'm also a Christian and have no issues with their faith being present throughout the school. That being said, if I'm out to grab some drinks with friends (love me some craft beer), I don't want to worry about "getting in trouble" like my parents are watching or something. The fact that this is a "grey zone" if you will, bothers me. Regardless, the school overall is very nice and will provide our country with more awesome physicians.

All the best!

 

[bostonsportsfan]

how long did it take you guys to have your secondary be marked as received along with your letters?

 

[abbsmeddoc]

Does anyone know when the next batch of interview invites will be going out?

 

[757790]

Hi everyone. I just got interview invite this morning! I have yet to schedule. Was wondering how much time I should give myself to adequately prepare (if I should try to take the soonest interview date or not; ideally I would like to give myself a week in advance to prepare travel arrangements). Any tips on how to prepare for interview questions? Also, anyone know if the actual interviews were panel or MMI style? Thanks!

 

[abbsmeddoc]

Hi everyone. I just got interview invite this morning! I have yet to schedule. Was wondering how much time I should give myself to adequately prepare (if I should try to take the soonest interview date or not; ideally I would like to give myself a week in advance to prepare travel arrangements). Any tips on how to prepare for interview questions? Also, anyone know if the actual interviews were panel or MMI style? Thanks!

When were you complete if you don't mind me asking? And are your stats on the low, average or high end?

 

[757790]

Accidentally posted three times. Anyone know how to delete?